


The Beginning

by Paladins_Grace



Series: Monsters & Mana [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Based On a D&D Game, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gen, How Do I Tag, Keith (Voltron) Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-21 20:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16583147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paladins_Grace/pseuds/Paladins_Grace
Summary: The paladins run a small errand for the Alteans. It quickly escalates.





	1. Tutorial

**Author's Note:**

> This is the log of an online D&D session. We jump in shortly after S1E4 of Voltron (after the Paladins reclaimed the Castle from Sendak).
> 
> I know it's really slow for the first few chapters - it does get more interesting after a few missions, so skipping ahead might be recommended, unless you want to see us flail around trying to figure out our style for a mission or two.
> 
> How this came to be:
> 
> I fell in love with VLD and promptly forced all of my close friends to watch it. Turns out, the 5 of us match up pretty neatly with the 5 Paladins. We'd been tossing around the idea of trying our hand at a homebrew D&D for a while, but none of us have ever played and it was, frankly, pretty overwhelming. So we decided to start small - we attempted to craft our own, simpler version of D&D (simpler stats and turn order), and we each claimed our respective Paladin and began the roleplay. 
> 
> We got pretty into it - at the beginning, we were playing for 6 hours a day, every day. It ran for about 8 months before we decided to take a break. As of now, we haven't picked it back up again - but I'm planning on scrubbing the gameplay logs and posting them here. I was going to rewrite them a little (descriptify) so it flows a bit better, but that's about 3 times the work (and there are TONS of logs) and it doesn't change the overall flow a whole lot. So - these are the logs more or less as they happened, give or take some clarifying edits.
> 
> There are some bits where certain players had to go afk for a bit, so occasionally another player would step in for an action. Those situations should be pretty clear. 
> 
> ~ Hunk-mun

[Pidge is the DM]

Allura watched in frustration as her four space mice pulled out a crystal and inserted it again...most definitely proving that there was no misaligned crystal causing the proximity sensors to fail.

"Thank you, but it looks like that isn't going to help much more..." she told apologetically to her mice. Coran walked over and stood by, observing Allura's progress, or rather, lack of progress.

"Coran, it's no good. I checked the power cores, antimatter diffractors and the pokelones already. And even cleaned the teludav chamber. There doesn't seem any way we can get this to work without some new particle beam lenses. Are you sure you can't find any?"

Coran only shrugged. "Sorry Princess, but all our lenses right now are ten thousand years old. They've all deformed and collected enough impurities to make them useless. Are you sure you have already tried turning it off and on again?"

Allura growled "Yes, Coran. I'm pretty sure I already tried turning it off and on again twelve times. I don't think a thirteenth time will make it work."

"Well back in my day as a cadet, the sergeant would send us digging through the mud as punishment for enough dolteen goop to refine into crystals. Ah, fun times."

Coran was met with a scowl from Allura. "I am not crawling through the mud, if that's what you're suggesting..."

"But one of our new Paladins might..."

"It's worth a shot..."

Moments later, the paladins were assembled onboard the Castle's bridge, again with only Shiro in full armour, Keith, Hunk and Pidge with their armour partly donned and pieces haphazardly dangling from their arms, and Lance charismatically waltzing in in his street clothes again.

Allura decided to save the tongue-lashing for later and got straight to the issue, "We have a lot of repairs on hand left to do to this castle and we can use your help, Paladins. We need you to collect some dolteen slime so that we can fix our proximity sensor. I'm pretty certain that any of the mud flats nearby here would have an ample supply of the yellow goo. Just bring back two buckets of it and we can refine it into some particle beam lenses."

Coran enthusiastically piped in, "Yes, the slime is naturally produced by the wild bryzors that live in the area. Dangerous beasts, but incredibly fun to ride. Also their tusks can be grounded up for a great protein in our dinners-"

"You mean food goo," interjected Hunk.

Coran went on. "Anyway, I think we saw a mud patch a couple kilometers to the southeast of here. I'd recommend checking that out. Which of you paladins are ready and willing to go?"

The paladins look at one another in a moment of confusion before Pidge, looking slightly green in the face, blurts out, "Sorry! I'm experimenting with some new enlarged photon refraction fiel-"...a short glance at the rest of her paladins changes her sentence. "Um...cloaking device...and it's at a critical stage and is about to explode if I don't go finish it off."  
She dashed out of the room back towards her lab, leaving four more paladins to scoop goop.

 

Shiro: I step forward to volunteer for the mission

Keith: I step forward to go as well, if Shiro's going I guess

Shiro: "We should take our lions to get some extra flying practice in on the way." I suggest

DM: Allura nods in agreement, and scans over to check again who's participating in this mission

Hunk: Hunk jogs forward, adjusting his helmet, to catch up with Shiro and Keith. "Wait, I'll go too."

Shiro: "I'm sure the four of us can manage two buckets."

DM: Allura nods. "All right paladins. To your lions. Coran already left a bucket for each of you in the hangars"

Shiro: I inspect what supplies I have on my lion.

DM: Roll intelligence. [Shiro rolls 16] Shiro finds his standard bucket and a tube of food goo carelessly dropped from Coran's jacket. Good for +2 HP.

Hunk: I swing by the kitchen to grab some snacks before I head to my hangar.

DM: Hunk manages to get ahold of 3 food goo tubes. Looks like Coran's snack

Keith: I get into my lion.

DM: The paladins jettison off in their lions (buckets in hand) to the nearest mud flat. A lone bryzor, which resembles a giant, hairy warthog, dozes smack in the center.

Shiro: "Guys, we should set down a little ways away so we can ambush the bryzor"

Hunk: "Wa- wait. Ambush? Are we sure we wanna fight this guy?" I take a closer look at the bryzor.

Keith: I also take a closer look at the bryzor

DM: Roll intelligence, both of you. [Keith rolls 3, Hunk rolls 12] Keith is conveniently blocked by some trees at the edge of the mud, so he only learns what Hunk relays.

Shiro: I also analyze it to see if I recognize it from my time in captivity

DM: Roll intelligence [Shiro rolls 12] Hunk sees a mammoth sized beast. 4 sharp tusks are on the face about 3 feet long, and each knee of the 6-legged beast has a much duller, 1 foot spike coming out. The fur looks glossy. Shiro doesn't recognize it. Right now it looks docile while asleep, but there's no telling how it would react if awakened

Shiro: "I think an ambush is our best chance of taking this thing down. If we go for the legs, it won't be able to keep up with us."

Keith: "But we might not need to attack it if it's asleep."

Hunk: "I don't think that's such a good idea. It's pretty big."

Lance: "It's so cute so we HAVE to hurt it."

Shiro: How close is it to the mud deposits?

Keith: "Someone could sneak in and gather goo while the others provide backup."

DM: Right in the middle. The mud field looks like it's 100 meters across, approximately circular shape.

Shiro: Oh that's farther than expected

Hunk: "We only need the two buckets, right? I say we sneak in, grab the mud, and get out before this thing wakes up."

Shiro: "We should position ourselves behind it and stay to the outer limits, then. Keith and I can each get a bucket as we have sneaking experience, and Lance and Hunk can set up long range shots if something goes wrong.”

Keith: I agree.

Hunk: I nod.

Shiro: I set down on the fringe of the deposit and sneak to gather the mud without waking up the bryzor.

Keith: I land my lion at the edge of the deposit, hopefully quietly.

Hunk: I set my lion down close to the deposit, landing a little louder and heavier than the others.

DM: A soft, but audible crunch can be heard from Hunk's landing. [Dm rolls 18] The paladins look up in alarm, but the bryzor remains still. Upon closer inspection, the mud reveals to be mostly even and undisturbed, but some rough patches are visible, along with some bryzor hoof prints...which lead towards the sleeping beast in the middle.

Shiro: I gather the required mud

DM: You're too far from the main body of the deposit itself. You need to wade in a bit deeper into the mud.

Keith: I start heading towards the bryzor in hopes of goo. Quietly.

Shiro: I sneak forward.

DM: Roll stealth, both of you. [Keith rolls 4, Shiro rolls 1] The mud sticks to your boots and ruins any hope of stealth. Worse yet, a loud, ominous "crack" resonates from under Shiro's feet. The bryzor is awake

Shiro: "Hunk, Lance, start firing.” I use motivational speech. [Hunk and Lance both get +1 accuracy for 3 turns]

DM: It glares at both Shiro and Keith. Though it can easily charge Shiro, it...doesn't.

Keith: "Shiro, we should exit the mud so it's easier to move."

Shiro: I attempted to pacify it. "It might not be hostile.”

DM: The bryzor keeps its eyes on Shiro, but retraces the footsteps it took to get into the mud deposit, gingerly.

Shiro: I start collecting mud while watching the bryzor, in case it appears more agitated.

Keith: I continue to slowly head further into the mud pit for goo, keeping an eye on the bryzor.

DM: [DM rolls 8] The loud crack occurs again, this time under Keith's feet. The ground is sinking in rapidly under Keith's feet. Roll agility. [Keith rolls 14] The ground caves in, but Keith, despite running through thick mud, manages to not fall in the new gaping hole, about 5 meters in diameter. The ground is visible at the bottom of the hole, about 7 meters down. It's dark, but it looks like there's somehow a large cavern directly beneath this deposit. Keith managed to jump onto something more solid...more mud...right beside the hoofprints of the bryzor.

Shiro: I inspect the cavern without getting too close.

Lance: I (finally) land my lion on the opposite side of the mud flats from Hunk's lion if i'm allowed to take my turn idk what im doing DM dont let me interrupt

DM: Shiro, you're still stuck on that last spot that produced the crack. You can't see much from your vantage point.

Hunk: I activate my bayard.

Shiro: "Don't aggravate the bryzor."

DM: Now along the "hoof track", the bryzor quickens its pace towards Keith.

Shiro: "Never mind."

DM: Hunk's bayard changes into its heavy gun while the blue lion drops onto the edge of the....flats/cavern. Keith has about 15 seconds if he stays still before the bryzor reaches him.

Hunk: I fire at the bryzor

Shiro: I move to intercept the bryzor and activate my hand.

DM: (I forgot where Hunk is positioned)

Keith: I'm going to dodge with a few seconds left.

DM: [DM rolls 13] The ground also is caving in under Shiro. Roll agility! [Shiro rolls 12] Shiro also narrowly escaped. He's now on the track, behind the bryzor by about 10 meters. Hunk, roll...accuracy (agility). Keith, roll agility. [Hunk rolls 2, Keith rolls 16] Hunk's shot is wild, and is aimed at Shiro. Shiro, roll agility. [Shiro rolls 10] Keith deftly rolls off the track, out of harm's way. Shiro dodged.

Shiro: I charge forward and attack the bryzor.

Keith: I check if the bryzor seems aggressive

DM: Bryzor IS aggressive!

(Pidge had to leave, so Hunk took over DMing)

Keith: I take out my bayard and charge at the bryzor as well.

Lance: I fire at the bryzor, trying to draw it away from the others.

Hunk: I step into the shallow mud and shoot at the bryzor. Everyone roll for attack. [Shiro rolls 11, Keith rolls 19] Shiro lands a solid attack on the bryzor, which is then followed by Keith slicing the bryzor's side and stomach. [Hunk rolls 5, Lance rolls 6] Lance's shot glances off the bryzor's tusk, irritating it more than anything. Hunk's shot misses (again).

Keith: I attack the bryzor again.

Hunk: Roll for attack. [Keith rolls 16]

Shiro: I attack as well.

Hunk: Keith follows up with a slicing blow across the bryzor's face, hitting part of its neck as well. Shiro, roll for attack. [Shiro rolls 5] The bryzor begins thrashing in an attempt to fight back, and Shiro manages to slap it before being forced to roll out of the way. [Hunk/DM rolls 8] The bryzor lunges after Shiro, but misses. Hunk aims and fires again. [Hunk rolls 20] Hunk (finally!) lands a solid shot on the Bryzor's face, and the beast falls to the ground completely still.

Keith: I poke at it with my bayard sword to check if it's dead

Hunk: It is dead. I wade into the mud to join my teammates.

Keith: "Didn't Coran say its tusks were good for something?"

Hunk: "Yeah, we can use them in a food thing, I think."

Keith: "We should take them back to the castle with us." I cut off the bryzor tusks with my sword

Hunk: Roll for success. [Keith rolls 16] Keith breaks the bryzor's tusks with his sword. 4 bryzor tusks are added to your inventory.

Keith: "Shiro, help me carry these back to the lions."

Shiro: I help Keith take the tusks back to Red before collecting the goo.

(Pidge re-joins as DM)

DM: You see now, more clearly in the disturbed mud, some grey-yellow splotches.

Keith: I make sure to stick to the trail while heading towards the goo.

DM: Time to scoop up :p

Keith: I scoop the goo

Shiro: I fill the other bucket

DM: You mostly get goo, though both of you have plenty of mud on your buckets and in almost every surface of your armor

Shiro: "Okay team, we should head back to deliver these supplies and rest up. We can come back to explore the caverns another time.”

Keith: "That's a good idea. Maybe Pidge would want to join us for the caverns." I scrape off some of the mud on my armour before heading back to my lion

Shiro: I also do my best to scrape off as much mud as possible before getting into Black

DM: Your armour still looks like a mess, but at least you'll track way less mud into your lions now

Keith: "Sorry, Red, about the mess..."

Shiro: "After we've cleaned up at base we'll have to clean our lions." I mind-link to assure Black that I'd get rid of all traces of mud once we got back

DM: All the present paladins return to the castle, buckets in hand

Shiro: I report with the goo

DM: Coran greets you in the hangars, grabbing the buckets you've produced. He chimes "Ah. Good to have you back. Thanks for grabbing that slime. Sorry for giving that job to you, must have been pretty boring, scooping mud."

Keith: I glare at Coran, then head to my lion to grab the bryzor tusks

Shiro: I sigh while shaking my head as I hand over the buckets and go finish getting cleaned up before cleaning my lion

DM: Absentmindedly, Coran adds, "Also have any of you seen some hearty nutrients tubes? I seem to have misplaced some of mine shortly before you all headed off...Must be the mice. I'll get you, Platt!"

Keith: I return with the bryzor tusks and thrust them at Coran. "You said these were good for something."

DM: "Oh, ran into a couple of bryzors, did you? No wonder you took so long. Wicked sharp, those tusks are. Many a time I almost been impaled on them. I can ground those up into a hearty (+5 HP), refreshing (+3 stamina) meal for you all if you'd like. Though I have seen King Alfor use one as a makeshift and very cumbersome weapon once. Good times!”

Keith: I nod. "What's the worst the food goo could possibly taste..."

DM: Coran looks slightly offended. "That 'food goo' I've been providing you is a full nutritious meal that's seasoned to be absolutely scrumptious. I am a bit of a top chef if I say so myself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the account: my best friend (who plays Shiro) made this and posted the other two fics as a birthday gift for me. This account is kind of a joint effort between the two of us, and she's been beta'ing the scrubbed logs to make sure I didn't miss anything. 
> 
> I play Hunk. We made TONS of missions on the D&D server, and I intend to scrub and post them in this series (thank you, season 6, for giving me a BRILLIANT title for this). The log flows from one thing to another, so I'm going to try and put chapter/fic breaks where they make the most sense - although that likely means that each chapter will end kind of abruptly. I don't know what my posting schedule will be like, since I'm in school, and it'll take me a while to get through all of the logs - but hopefully it'll be somewhat consistent.
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment! I'd love to hear any feedback you guys have about this :) It's kind of an experiment, so any input is welcome.


	2. Mossy Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith sees some rocks.

DM: Shortly afterwards, Coran returns with 4 large...bryzor shaped (barely) cookies. They sort of look like they're half-baked, but Coran insists they're supposed to look like that. Each paladin who went on the mud mission receives one. Each restores +5 HP and +3 stamina.

Keith: I gingerly take a cookie, inspect it, grimace, and then put it away

Hunk: I take a cookie, sniff it, and add it to my inventory.

Lance: I take a cookie, trying not to look too closely at it, and add it to my inventory

Shiro: I walk back in from the hanger and take the cookie. I give my cookie to Pidge

DM: Pidge looks in surprise, but accepts the cookie. "How'd the mission go?"

Shiro: "Well, all things considered. We had some unexpected fighting and the ground collapsed out from under us but no one was hurt. Speaking of which we unearthed a cavern. It might be beneficial to explore it.”

DM: "Oh, that sounds neat! Do you guys know what's inside? Coran? Do you know of anything down there?"

[Shiro becomes DM]

DM: Coran shakes his head with a thoughtful look on his face. "No, I can't say we've ever encountered it ourselves. Although we have spent the past 10,000 years in stasis, so who knows.”

“We have no more pressing issues for the time being, so now would be a good time to investigate if you're interested, paladins," Allura weighs in.

Pidge: "Sounds interesting. Will it be dark down there?" I check around to see if my armour has any lights or flashlights on it

DM: Roll intelligence [Pidge rolls 7] You accidentally activate your jetpack and go up about 6 feet before it turns off. Roll agility [Pidge rolls 16] You manage to grab onto the tallest person near you and cling to their shoulders.

Pidge: "Wu-woooah! Ah! Sorry!"

DM: Shiro pries Pidge off and sets her down. "Don't worry about it. Maybe be more careful about what you press in the future though," Shiro responds with faint amusement. "I think I'm going to sit this mission out, team. I'm going to prep some items for future missions and get some training in. Be careful out there." He exits with a wave.

Pidge: Pidge climbs down, red in the cheeks. "Well, good to know which button controls the jetpack. But seriously, do these things have any built-in lights?”

DM: Coran - who had been snickering in amusement - walks over to Pidge and taps the side of her helmet, causing twin beams of light from either side to appear. "Your helmets have built in flashlights. All you have to do to activate it is press this button." He taps it again to deactivate the light. "You can adjust the intensity by twisting the button back and forth."

Pidge: I test out my flashlight - then start playing with the intensity. "Ah. Thanks." I give it a quick test before turning it off

Hunk: I practice activating and deactivating the light. "Well, if you guys are going back to the caves, I'll go with you."

Keith: I pause in my button twisting, then turn to Coran. "Do we have any rope in the castle? We might need to bring some along to the caverns."

DM: "I doubt you'll need any. You have your jet packs, as number 5 demonstrated earlier," Coran replies.

Hunk: "Oh, right, I'm still getting used to that myself."

Keith: "I guess we'll depend on knowing how to use our jetpacks then." I head towards the hangar and my lion.

Hunk: I follow suit.

Pidge: I go towards my lab first to see if there's any gadgets or gizmos lying around that might be useful

DM: Roll intelligence [Pidge rolls 6] While looking around you bump into your computer causing it to fall

Pidge: I try to catch it! [Pidge rolls 11]

DM: Pidge barely catches her computer from hitting the floor, but it does get slightly scuffed. Luckily, nothing seems to be broken and nothing else is hit during Pidge's mad dive. The three paladins head out and arrive at the hole in the ground without incident.

Hunk: I get an aerial look at the entrance to the cavern.

Keith: I go have a look as well

(Pidge had to leave, Hunk/Keith took over playing her)

DM: The hole is still about 5 meters in diameter. Nothing appears to have changed, but you can't get a very good look from the air.

Hunk: "Do we want the lions with us in there, as, like, backup?"

Keith: "It couldn't hurt, I guess"

Hunk: I charge my lion into the ground, bellyflop-style, to make the entrance bigger

DM: [DM rolls 5] The structure can't handle the impact and begins to crack with rocks falling from the ceiling.

Hunk: I fly a bit higher and slam into the ground again.

DM: [DM rolls 4] There's a massive cave in with rocks covering everything. The gap is mostly covered, shrinking to a mere half a meter. Your lions can no longer fit.

Hunk: "Okay, well, that didn't work."

Keith: "We can land our lions at the edge of the mud and walk to the hole."

DM: It's dark inside but you can just make out the floor about 7 meters down.

Hunk: Pidge and I activate our helmet lights. We both look around.

Keith: I also activate my helmet light, then peer inside the hole (after walking towards it on the trail).

DM: Roll intelligence [Keith rolls 6] Keith sees some rocks.

Keith: "I can't see much down here, why don't you two come and look instead?"

Hunk: Pidge and Hunk both peer into the hole as well.

DM: Roll intelligence [Hunk rolls 5, Pidge rolls 10]

DM: Hunk leans over the hole a little too far and starts to lose his balance. Hunk roll agility [Hunk rolls 8]

Keith: I make a move to grab Hunk

DM: Hunk tries to regain his balance but is unsuccessful. He manages to buy himself an extra second before falling. Keith roll agility [Keith rolls 6] Keith makes a move to grab Hunk but he's too late. Meanwhile Pidge has noticed a faint blue glow emanating from somewhere below. Hunk falls down the hole. Hunk roll defence [Hunk rolls 22 (nat20)] Hunk gets hooked on a rock while falling and suffers no damage. After disentangling himself he drops gently to the ground. Hunk gets +1 strength from the adrenaline rush for awhile.

Hunk: "I'm okay, guys!" I call up to my teammates. I look around the cavern.

Keith: Pidge speaks up. "Um guys? I think I see some blue light coming from the cavern."

DM: Hunk can see some objects that give off the light Pidge was talking about. They line the walls, not in a pattern.

Keith: I activate my jetpack and head down the hole.

DM: Roll agility [Keith rolls 17] Keith gracefully sets down inside the cavern near Hunk

Hunk: Pidge follows Keith.

DM: Roll agility [Pidge rolls 2 (nat1)] Pidge hits her head on the way down, taking 3 damage and losing control of her jet pack. It turns off before she is at the bottom. Pidge roll agility [Pidge rolls 4]

Keith: I move to catch Pidge

DM: Pidge can't control herself and shrieks as she falls. Roll agility, Keith [Keith rolls 4 (nat1)] Keith sees he can't make it in time.

Hunk: I move to catch Pidge. [Hunk rolls 9]

DM: Hunk makes it in time. Roll strength [Hunk rolls 22] Hunk catches Pidge without further incident. The second spike of adrenaline adds +1 to Hunk's agility temporarily.

Keith: I head towards the two others. "Let's take a small breather before heading onwards."

Hunk: "Agreed." I'm breathing a little heavily.

Keith: I inspect the cavern while resting.

DM: Roll intelligence [Keith rolls 3]

Hunk: Pidge and Hunk also look around the cavern.

(Pidge returns)

DM: Keith sees some rocks. Roll intelligence, Pidge and Hunk. [Hunk rolls 16, Pidge rolls 14] Hunk and Pidge notice that the glowing objects seem to be a type of moss. Hunk also notes that all the moss is connected, though some of the bits are too small to produce enough light for anyone to see.

Hunk: "While we're taking a break, does anyone want a snack?"

Pidge: "Pass me a tube of goo..." I answer absentmindedly

Hunk: I hand a goo tube to Pidge.

Pidge: "Thanks. Bioluminescent moss! The galaxy is full of interesting things."

Pidge: I eat the goo and take a sample of moss

DM: Pidge recovers 2 HP. [DM rolls 3] The moss reacts badly to being taken off the wall and begins pulsing strangely.

Hunk: "Uh oh. That can't be good."

Pidge: I let go in surprise

DM: It falls to the ground but continues pulsing.

Pidge: (And don my helmet again after taking it off to eat goo)

Keith: I poke at the moss

DM: [DM rolls 19] It stops pulsing.

Pidge: "Uuuuh...that's interesting". I start a video log while watching the moss

Hunk: "Is it...did it die?"

DM: It had stopped pulsing before you started recording.

Hunk: "Keith did you kill it??"

Keith: "I don't know? Either way, it's stopped pulsing."

Pidge: I speak aloud for the recording anyway. "That moss patch was pulled from the wall and was pulsing light erratically. Keith's poke just stopped it just now."

Keith: "Pidge, do you want to take it back with you?"

Pidge: "If it pulses again, we might be able to record the pattern and try translating it"

Keith: "If not, we should move on."

Pidge: I check around to see if I have a containment unit

Hunk: "We can still analyze it for stuff even if it's dead, right?"

DM: You don't have anything special, just regular pockets.

Pidge: "We can...I just need to make sure we're not disturbing anything large in a symbiotic relation with this moss." I decide to leave it alone

Hunk: I look around the cavern again.

Keith: "You could take it back in the tube the goo was in? If you don't mind getting bits of goo over the moss."

DM: A scuttling sound echos from somewhere to your right.

Pidge: I look up at the noise

Hunk: I look to the right. "Um, guys, did you hear that?"

Keith: I shine my helmet light to the right and see if I see anything.

DM: You see a tunnel. The sound is getting louder.

Pidge: "Uh...I think we woke something up." I cautiously step back from the tunnel.

Keith: I activate my bayard and take a few steps towards the tunnel. "Guys, get ready to flee. Hunk, carry Pidge up if you have to."

Pidge: I activate my own bayard and keep it by my side

DM: The light from your helmet shines down the tunnel and you hear a strange clacking hiss before the scuttling starts moving away from you.

Pidge: "It might come back. Probably an arthropod or something with sharp claws and sharp teeth."

Keith: "Gather what moss you need. I'll keep guard."

Pidge: I open up my empty food goo container and decide to drop the "dead" sample.

DM: [DM rolls 6] The moss begins pulsing again.

Pidge: "Uh..." I hurriedly finish inserting it into the tube, but leave the lid off

Keith: I decide to check around the cavern again, seeing that I somehow missed a tunnel the first time.

DM: The speed of the flashes increases as it's left alone.

Pidge: I try poking the moss again, like how Keith did earlier

DM: Roll intelligence, Keith. [Keith rolls 10] You see a tunnel to your left along to the one to your left. [DM rolls 3] The blinking doesn't stop.

Hunk: I activate my bayard and stand over Pidge as she busies with the tube.

DM: Some kind of gas drifts off the moss.

Hunk: "If we bring this back to the castle, is it gonna send out a homing signal or something?"

(Hunk had to leave, Pidge/Keith took over playing him)

Keith: "Pidge, please put that lid on the tube."

Pidge: I cap the tube… "That gas might pressurize this tube into a pipe bomb!"

DM: The container is small and it doesn't take long for the moss to produce more gas than the container can hold. Only a little escapes before you can cap it.

Keith: "What are we supposed to do about the gas then?"

Pidge: "I don't know! My suit probably doesn't have the tools, but I can try scanning it to see if it's harmful." I attempt to observe it and get more information about it

DM: Roll intelligence [Pidge rolls 5] You notice the gas continues to build

Keith: "If you can't find anything, we could take it to your lion, or at least above ground."

Pidge: What colour is the gas?

DM: Blue

Keith: I turn off my helmet light. I look closely at the moss, to see if my non-scientific brain can see anything.

DM: Roll intelligence [Keith rolls 19]

Keith: Hunk also takes a close look.

DM: You notice it's started to vibrate inside the tube and that there's an additional light coming from the centre of the moss. Hunk roll intelligence

Keith: "Uh... It's vibrating." [Hunk rolls 21 (nat20)]

DM: Keith also notices a tiny crack in the glass appear.

Keith (Hunk): "And the glass is cracking...!"

DM: Hunk realizes that it's about to explode

Keith: Hunk looks panicked and backs away. "Guys, that thing looks like it's about to blow!"

Pidge: "This thing is going to blow!" I throw it towards the tunnel opening

Keith: I pull out my shield.

DM: Roll agility, Pidge and Keith [Pidge rolls 19, Keith rolls 22]

Keith: "Hunk, get ready to carry Pidge out if there's a cave-in. We don't know if her jetpack is working."

DM: Pidge tosses the vial before it can explode but Keith is ready with his shield regardless. The vial explodes into green fire that quickly dies out.

Keith: I stare at the vial. "I guess containing the moss wasn't a good idea..."

Pidge: "Yeah. I did get some video recording on the pulsing though, so it's not a total loss." I inspect (without touching) the rest of the walls to observe the moss

Keith: "And did you guys see that green fire?" says Hunk.

DM: You've noticed all you can, Pidge.

Pidge: "As long as it's not pulsing. We're good. Do you guys want to explore the tunnel further?"

Keith: I take a closer look down the tunnel Pidge threw the vial towards with my helmet light on. "We could. We did hear sounds down a tunnel earlier."

DM: There are scorch marks on the ground from the fire and you can't see much of the tunnel, as it starts twisting immediately

Keith: "Which tunnel do we want to explore?"

Pidge: "The left one might be interesting...we know nothing about it, but we do know something big is in the other one."

Keith: Hunk gulps. "So you're suggesting we check out the tunnel _with_ the possible monster?"

Pidge: "No, the opposite one. The one with our 'monster' might also contain interesting things, but clearly it's more dangerous..."

Keith: "Let's go check it out then. I'll go first." I start down the tunnel with my sword and shield drawn.

Pidge: I draw my own shield and fall in line several steps behind Keith.

Keith: (Hunk is just behind us the whole time until something happens)

(Hunk returns)


	3. Webbing It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make a pun in the title.
> 
> st = stamina

DM: The moss that lines the walls gives off enough light to see by. The tunnel constantly curves left and right never running in one direction for more than a meter. Eventually you reach a point where the tunnel seems to become a tight leftward spiral as it starts to slope down sharply.

Pidge: "Watch your step, we don't want it to drop off suddenly"

Keith: I put my bayard and shield away, then sit down and start down the slope.

Pidge: I put my shield away but keep my bayard active, ready in case if I need to suddenly stop. I prepare to slide down in same fashion as Keith

DM: It takes significantly longer to reach the bottom this way but eventually the tunnel turns right at a 90 degree angle and levels out. The tunnel is perfectly straight.

Keith: "That wasn't too bad. Getting back up will be more difficult." I activate my bayard again, and continue down the tunnel.

Pidge: I follow in suit

DM: You can tell the tunnel opens up into an open space up ahead.

Pidge: How well can we see into it? Does the moss illuminate the whole area?

Keith: I draw my shield and pause.

DM: You can't see very well. You can see the basic shape of the area but it's a big enough space that the middle is shrouded in blackness.

Pidge: I activate my helmet lights and turn them on full

Keith: I activate my helmet light as well.

DM: You disturb about 8 giant sleeping spiders. Each one comes up to Keith's hips.

Hunk: I also activate my helmet lights and look around.

DM: They all begin hissing.

Hunk: I stand perfectly still, watching the spiders. "Um, guys?" I activate my bayard.

Pidge: "Uh....I don't think these things are happy." I shine my lights on the walls instead so it's not directly in the spiders' eyes and look around to see if there's another exit

Keith: How wide are the spiders?

DM: They calm slightly when the light is redirected. They're about 3 feet wide.

Hunk: Is there an exit beyond the spiders?

Keith: For my inability to understand distances, how wide is that in relation to the tunnel? I lower my helmet light intensity

Pidge: "Do you guys know if we have any night-vision tech built into our visors? Now would be a good time to use that instead..."

DM: A little more than half the tunnel

Hunk: I turn off my lights. "How do you turn on the night vision?"

Keith: "Guys, back up into the tunnel so they can't surround us."

DM: One of the spiders starts to creep forward.

Pidge: I back up accordingly

Hunk: I also back up, but not as adeptly as the others.

DM: The spider stops its advance just before it reaches the start of the tunnel.

Keith: I have my sword drawn and ready

Pidge: I back up slightly further but pause to do another scan attempt

DM: On the spider?

Pidge: Wait, does my scan emit any visible light?

Hunk: "I don't think these guys can fit down the path we came in. Should I fire on them?"

Pidge: "No, we don't want to anger them..."

DM: You'd be using your eyes

Pidge: I use this spider's pause to study it at a distance away

DM: Roll intelligence [Pidge rolls 7]

Keith: I turn off my helmet light.

DM: You notice none of the spiders venture into the tunnel. They stay just outside though they'd be able to fit inside.

Keith: I slowly step forward, still with my sword and shield drawn.

DM: They become more agitated as you step forward. When you get within 2 meters one of them shoots something at you.

Keith: I attempt to block it

DM: Keith, roll agility [Keith rolls 13] You raise your shield in time and feel something impact it and stick adding extra weight to your shield. You lose 2 stamina.

Hunk: I raise my shield and take a step forward, standing beside Keith.

Keith: I back up into the tunnel, then inspect the sticky substance.

Pidge: "Keith, get back, and retract your shield to rid of that webbing. We'll cover you"

DM: You're cramped standing side by side and can't use your weapons. Keith roll intelligence [Keith rolls 20]

Pidge: I back up enough to give space for Hunk to be in the front

DM: You notice that the webbing sticks to your shield in a glob. You have a sudden bout of inspiration that leads you to think that the mass sticks to whatever it covers the most surface area of. So if it was covering more surface area of another object it was touching it would disengage from your shield.

Hunk: I ready my bayard. "Are we taking these guys on? Because I'd be pretty comfortable backtracking and exploring the other tunnel."

Keith: I rub my shield on the wall, somewhere high up, attempting to get the webbing off.

DM: You succeed. Reaching high enough and rubbing off the webbing takes 1 st

Pidge: "It’s a highly adhesive molecular makeup! Brilliant! We can pull ourselves free if we're ever stuck.”

Keith: I pause and rest a moment while deciding whether to take the spiders on

Hunk: I back up slightly.

DM: You regain 2 st, Keith.

Keith: "The spiders would be difficult to take on if they can shoot webbing like that."

DM: One of the spiders starts into the tunnel.

Pidge: "Okay! Back up! Back up! Hunk, give it a warning shot"

Keith: I draw my shield again.

Hunk: I fire at the spider.

DM: Roll strength [Hunk rolls 10]

Keith: I also move in front of Pidge.

DM: Also your gun will cost 3 st because it's big. Your shot scrapes it dealing 3 damage. The spider screams before charging forward, shooting webbing.

Hunk: I pull my shield up

Keith: I shove Pidge down the way we came and move backwards with my shield still up.

DM: Hunk roll agility

Hunk: I start backing into the tunnel we came down. [Hunk rolls 3]

Pidge: I work to stay on my feet and back up, trying to gauge how the spider is doing (how much HP it has left)

DM: Pidge roll intelligence [Pidge rolls 10]

DM: Hunk’s shield doesn't come up in time. Your left arm is plastered to your body from the webbing. Hunk loses 1 HP from the force and 2 st

Hunk: I yelp.

DM: Pidge thinks it has between 1 and 4 HP left.

Hunk: How many shots is that?

Keith: "Hunk! Head for the wall on your left and rub off the webbing!"

DM: Only the first spider shot

Keith: I try to see weak points on the spider.

Hunk: I roll against the wall in an attempt to get the webbing off.

Pidge: I move forward to take over Hunk's spot. I then launch my bayard at it

DM: The outside webbing rubs off but some got in between your arm and body. Pidge roll strength

Hunk: "Oh, come on." I look around for a stick or a rock or something. [Pidge rolls 14]

Keith: I continue to see if there are weak points on the spider.

DM: You successfully hit the spider for 2 damage, finishing it off. The spiders behind it start making angry noises upon realizing that their companion has died. Two more start forward.

Pidge: "Uh, Hunk, are you able to shoot again?"

Hunk: "Not really, I need both my arms to hold my gun. If I can find something long like a stick, I can probably free my arm up." I continue to look for a rock or a stick or something.

DM: The one in the back fires. Hunk roll intelligence. [DM rolls 10, Hunk rolls 13]

Pidge: I raise my shield.

Keith: I _continue_ to look for spider weak points

DM: Roll agility Pidge [Pidge rolls 19] Hunk, you find a stick. Keith roll intelligence [Keith rolls 11]

Hunk: I slide the stick alongside my arm, trying to rub the webbing onto it.

DM: Pidge brings up her shield in time, expending 1 st. Keith notices that while their legs are thicker than a regular spider's there's no chitin protecting them.

Pidge: "Ugh. Keith, can you take the lead? I need to clear the webbing on my shield."

Keith: I move in front of Pidge with my sword and shield still drawn.

DM: Hunk is mostly successful but actions will cost extra st. Also your adrenaline boosts wore off. The first spider leaps at Keith. [DM rolls 2]

Keith: I slash at the spider with my sword.

Pidge: I back off and rub my shield against an empty spot on the wall

DM: Roll strength Keith [Keith rolls 7] The webbing comes off. The spider's initial leap was off and it got stuck on the webbing on the ceiling. You strike a meagre blow but still do 1 damage. The spider struggles against the webs. [DM rolls 1 (nat1)] It can’t get free.

Hunk: I fire my bayard at the third spider.

Keith: How much stamina did my slash take?

DM: 1. Hunk roll strength

Hunk: Do I still have that other boost?

Pidge: (Please designate spider stuck on ceiling as Spider 2 and spider Hunk is attacking as Spider 3)

DM: No, your boosts are gone. [Hunk rolls 4 (nat1)] Keith is in danger of being hit by Hunk. The shot takes 4 st due to leftover webbing. Keith roll agility [Keith rolls 14] Keith ducks out of the way.

Hunk: "Sorry, Keith!"

Pidge: Check: Am I behind Keith and Hunk rn?

DM: Spider 3 fires something liquid from its mouth. Yes, Pidge. [DM rolls 17] Keith is in danger at the front. Spider 2 tries again to get free. [DM rolls 12]  
!roll d20

Keith: I try to dodge the liquid.

DM: Roll agility [Keith rolls 4 (nat1)]

Pidge: I also hug the wall to dodge

Hunk: I raise my shield.

DM: The liquid hits Keith on the left side of your armour burning through it and dealing 5 damage. You now have a burn on your left shoulder and the left side of your chest. Spider 2 is finally free and leaps for Pidge.

Pidge: I aim my bayard at Spider 2 [DM rolls 14]

Hunk: I fire at spider 2. [Hunk rolls 5]

DM: Roll strength, Pidge and Hunk. [Pidge rolls 14] Pidge hits the spider mid-leap, pushing it back and dealing 2 damage. Hunk misses and hits the ceiling of the tunnel. [DM rolls 7] Some rocks fall from the ceiling and the cave shakes ominously.

(Hunk had to leave, Pidge/Keith took over playing him)

Pidge: How much stamina was used in attacking Spider2?

Keith: How does the burn affect me?

DM: 2 st. The burn will reduce your agility when you use your left arm and can cause extra damage if you get hit in the same spot.

Keith: I get up and slash at Spider 3 with my sword (which I think is in my right hand?)

DM: Roll strength [Keith rolls 8, DM rolls 2] You hit the spider and deal 2 damage. It takes 2 st. Spider 2 is frustrated and leaps at Keith. [DM rolls 19]

Pidge: I attack spider 2 with the bayard, in hopes of snaring its legs

DM: Roll strength [Pidge rolls 18] You manage to wrap its legs, stopping it mid-flight and ripping two legs off. It takes 3 damage. You used 2 st

Keith: Is the spider dead yet?

Pidge: Spider 2 is defeated

Pidge (Hunk): I step around in front of Keith again and open fire on Spider 3

DM: Roll strength. [DM rolls 16, Hunk rolls 17]

Keith: While Hunk is firing, I back up towards the slope and judge how easy it will be to climb.

Pidge: "We may as well try to catch our breaths if we can. I don't know when these guys will lay off."

DM: Spider 3 is hit dead centre, taking 4 damage and dying. Hunk uses 4 st

Keith: "Someone needs to watch the end of the tunnel in case more spiders attack."

DM: The 5 spiders remaining stay away, unwilling to move closer.

Keith: "Catch your breath, guys."

Pidge: I rest

Pidge (Hunk): I keep watch and rest

DM: Everyone gains 2 st. The last of webbing on Hunk comes off.

Keith: I put my shield away, seeing that my left side is slow.

DM: Hunk's penalty is gone. The spiders continue to watch you warily but don't advance.

Pidge: Hunk watches them wearily, but doesn't advance.

DM: Another round of +2 st.

Keith: I look at the slope we came down trying to see how hard it is to climb while still resting.

DM: You could climb it without falling.

Pidge: I do a quick check. Is there more moss around us? Might be handy as impromptu explosives if we don't hurt ourselves with it.

DM: It's all along the walls

(Hunk returns)

Keith: "Should we try to take out the rest of the spiders? Or should we go back up and check the other tunnel?"

Hunk: "I vote we go back, eat a little, recover our strength."

Pidge: "If we could get around these spiders, we might find something interesting. Or maybe we could trap them in their own webbing to avoid fighting the rest."

Keith: "We would need a lot of webbing to trap them."

Hunk: "There's 5 of them left, and I don't think we can take them all out. Unless...what if we got them to fight each other?" I rest.

Pidge: "That's a good point. Though we can use more of this moss here...I'm not sure what the gas does outside a sealed container, though."

DM: Hunk gains 2 st. Spider 4 shoots webbing. It's heading towards Hunk.

Hunk: I raise my shield.

DM: Roll agility. [DM rolls 2, Hunk rolls 5]

Pidge: "Keith! We need you back up front! Hunk's getting webbed up again!" I catch my breath one last time and prepare to take Hunk's spot

Keith: I rush towards the others with my sword drawn.

DM: You can't get your shield up in time, but luckily the shot was off and happens to hit your shield anyways.

Pidge: Shield up, I take over Hunk's spot at the front. "Hunk, get rid of your webbing and get back in here."

DM: The spiders haven't advanced, they just took a shot.

Hunk: "'Kay, but you gotta cover me." I rub my shield on the wall in the tunnel

DM: Keith, are you attacking spider 4?

Pidge: Shield in a defensive position, I look behind at Spider corpses 2 and 3

Keith: I am making my way down the tunnel again, ready to attack spider 4 if it's going to jump

DM: None of the spiders move forward but they tense as you get closer. One shoots more webbing when you advance. [DM rolls 8]

Pidge: Who's in the front?

DM: Keith rushed forward

Keith: I dodge to the side

DM: Roll agility [Keith rolls 10] You roll out of the way but impact the side of the tunnel. Roll defence [Keith rolls 15] The webbing hits Pidge's shield. Keith’s armour takes the blow easily and you take no damage.

Pidge: "Someone take my spot for a second! I have an idea"

Hunk: Where is everyone right now?

DM: Keith is in front and he's about 8 feet from the entrance to the cave. Then Pidge, then Hunk.

Hunk: Am I resting? What is my current stamina?

Pidge: I turn back and investigate the corpse of spider 2 (while keeping my shield up, webbing still attached). How heavy is it?

DM: Roll strength [Pidge rolls 13] Hunk’s st is at full now. Pidge can lift it, but it's a strain.

Hunk: I move in front of Pidge with my bayard ready.

Keith: How close am I to spider 4?

DM: 8 feet. They're all at the same place, at the cave entrance

Hunk: All 5 spiders are crowded there?

Pidge: I carefully attempt to smear the webbing on my shield onto the top of Spider 2, deliberately avoiding the legs

DM: All 5 are, yes. It sticks.

Pidge: "Keith, can you throw spider 2 into the nest? Hunk, you should be able to open fire on them afterwards"

Hunk: I pre-emptively lift my shield, then look back at what Pidge is doing.

Keith: "I don't know if I can lift the spider with my shoulder burnt."

Hunk: "I can lift it, but then I won't be able to shoot the spiders."

Pidge: "Ok. Hunk, can you throw the spider? I'll attack with my bayard once you throw."

Hunk: I carefully lift the spider, careful not to touch the webbing.

Keith: "If you're doing what I think you're doing, you might want to collect more webbing."

DM: Roll strength [Hunk rolls 8]

Pidge: "Good point. We might want to grab a bit more webbing first."

DM: It takes 2 st to lift and will take an additional 5 to throw it.

Keith: "Can you collect the webbing from the sides of the cave?"

Hunk: I place the spider back on the ground, then catch my breath.

DM: You recover the stamina you just lost. Spider 4 shoots acid at Pidge

Pidge: Shield!

DM: [DM rolls 7] Roll agility [Pidge rolls 9] You manage to block all of it with your shield. It takes 1 st.

Pidge: "Phew. That was too close. Hurry with that webbing!". I stay at the front, shield in a defensive posture

Hunk: "I can get the webbing from the walls if someone covers me."

DM: The spiders start hissing again. Spider 5 shoots acid at Keith.

Keith: I dodge

DM: Roll agility [Keith rolls 21, DM rolls 12]

Pidge: "We can also attach more moss onto our...er...projectile, but do that last."

DM: You dodge successfully and some of the acid splashes to hit the webbing on the ceiling, causing it to fall.

Hunk: I move to collect the webbing from the floor.

DM: It gets stuck to your hands.

Hunk: "Okay, I don't know what I expected." I smear it on the spider corpse.

Keith: I catch my breath after the dodge

DM: Your st is restored by 2.

Pidge: I continue to keep my shield up and attempt to rest

DM: You recover 2 st. [DM rolls 1 (nat1)] The spiders suddenly start spitting acid at the moss covered wall, just in front of your group. [DM rolls 1 (nat1)] The moss starts releasing gas and pulsing.

Pidge: "That does not look like a good sign. Hunk! Hurry with that webbing!"

Hunk: Is that the wall with the webbing stuck on it?

Pidge: "Keith, can you throw some back at them?"

Keith: "Guys! Retreat! We don't know if that gas is dangerous!"

Pidge: I edge away from the entry, shield still ready. "Hunk! We're out of time!"

Hunk: I pick up the corpse and throw it at the spiders.

DM: Roll strength [Hunk rolls 10]

Pidge: I move aside to allow the throw, and prepare my bayard for an attack

Keith: I move out of the way of the throw, then pick up some moss to throw at the spiders, then start shoving at the others to leave.

DM: It hits Spider 5, dealing 3 damage and immobilizing it. You lose 7 st.

Hunk: I am shoved by Keith further into the tunnel.

Pidge: I use my bayard to attack spider 4

DM: When you pick up the moss the gas reaches your mouth. You start to feel dizzy. Roll strength Pidge [Pidge rolls 9] You deal a glancing blow. Spider 4 takes 1 damage. You lose 1 st. The gas begins to fill the tunnel. The spiders retreat.

Hunk: Who is standing where?

Pidge: "Okay, I think that's our cue to get out of here!"

DM: Hunk is the farthest back. Keith and Pidge are almost level. Pidge inhales gas as well. You breathe in less than Keith.

Hunk: "Fine by me!"

Keith: "We need to leave now..." I start to say, "The gas will definitely affect us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will the paladins make it out okay?? OOOooOooOOOOOOoooOOOOOooOOOooOOOO


	4. Aromatic Aftereffects

Pidge: I lower my faceplate and move towards the...ramp

Keith: I push Pidge towards the slope, making sure she's ahead of me. "Hunk, head up the slope, it shouldn't be hard to climb."

DM: Keith breathes in more gas. He can't think properly.

Hunk: Seeing Keith falling behind, I grab his arm and hoist it over my shoulder.

Pidge: Ahead of Keith, I launch my bayard into the wall, and leave it extended. "Keith! Climb up!"

DM: Roll strength Hunk [Hunk rolls 4 (nat1)] As Hunk goes back for Keith, he inhales some gas. Hunk is mildly dizzy. You hit Keith's damaged shoulder while trying to help him. Keith takes 1 damage.

Keith: "Hunk, don't worry about me for now... Just, try to get out of here." I climb up the slope slowly.

Hunk: I scramble for the slope.

DM: Keith jerks away from Hunk due to pain.

Hunk: "I am so sorry, man..."

DM: Keith and Hunk, roll agility. [Keith rolls 6, Hunk rolls 14]

Pidge: My bayard stays extended out, anchored into the wall, only a little ahead of the paladins below. I look for a nice, solid rock to brace my feet against.

DM: Keith stumbles and almost falls. Keith regains his feet but he stubs his toe in the process taking 1 damage. Hunk moves forward at a steady pace without any sign of difficulty.

Keith: I start climbing up the slope again.

Pidge: "Guys! Lower your faceplates! We need to stop breathing in this gas!"

Hunk: I lower my faceplate while plugging ahead.

Keith: I lower my faceplate as well. "Good, idea Pidge."

DM: [DM rolls 7] The gas keeps approaching. You all make it to the top. [DM rolls 9]

Pidge: I recall my bayard, careful not to impact anyone or anything along the way

DM: The gas settles where it is and starts to dissipate. 

Hunk: I move away from the entrance to the tunnel, then catch my breath

Pidge: "I wonder what that gas did to the spiders. I saw that they took off before it could reach them… There's one spider down below that was trapped, possibly eliminated, by the gas."

Hunk: "That means there must be another exit to that cave."

DM: All of you have full st again after resting.

Hunk: I bend over, trying to stabilize the dizziness.

Keith: I sit and rest against a wall, also trying to get rid of the dizziness.

Pidge: I inspect the area again, looking for a makeshift bandage for Keith, or at least something to help him out. I also offer Keith the cookie Shiro gave me

DM: You all feel a little better (+1 to your minuses). Pidge, roll intelligence to see if you find anything. [Pidge rolls 23 (nat20)]

Keith: I shake my head at Pidge, and pull out my own "cookie" to eat.

Hunk: I study Keith.

DM: He's pale and breathing heavily.

Hunk: "You don't look so good, man."

Keith: I eat my cookie. Which involves lifting my faceplate, but I lower it again after I finish eating.

DM: Pidge finds a dead body (skeleton) with 3 bandages in a med kit. Bandages heal 4 HP and can remove negative effects from certain wounds. Keith heals 5HP. The gas is gone.

Pidge: "Ugh, we got a skeleton over here. We're not the first in here. But I found some clean bandages." I patch Keith with one, on the shoulder

Keith: "Are we going to continue exploring? Don't patch me up if we're heading for the castle now."

Pidge: I pause with the patching

DM: His burn no longer has negative penalties but it isn't gone.

Hunk: "I am more than okay with heading back to the castle, you guys. Especially since we know there's something lurking in that other tunnel."

DM: One bandage is used. Keith also recovers 4 HP.

Keith: "We should be fine to keep exploring if we rest a bit."

Pidge: "Hang on, I'm going to see if I can upload my video log back to the castle first. Maybe something useful can be extracted from it later." I stop the current log and attempt to connect to the castle to upload my "left tunnel" video

Hunk: I nod repeatedly. "Okay. Okay... we are keeping on. Continuing into the unknown. In the dark."

Keith: "We can check if the gas is completely gone, and then go back to take out the rest of the spiders."

DM: There's a connection issue but the video will continue trying to upload.

Keith: I continue to sit and get rid of the dizziness.

DM: You're still dizzy

Hunk: I look at Keith. "You okay?"

Pidge: "Lie back for a second, Keith. You got a lot of gas there."

Keith: "I might be better if we head for the main cavern and fresh air before exploring again."

Pidge: I attempt to inject a little pure oxygen into Keith's suit

Hunk: Aren't we in the main cavern?

DM: You don't have any. Yes, you are

Pidge: Can I draw the oxygen from my own reserves? We have to breathe somehow...

DM: You only have 35% of your total left and you have no way to give it to him. By the way, when you have your faceplates on, you're using your suit’s oxygen.

Hunk: I remove my faceplate

Pidge: Ugh...who in the world designed these suits. "Keith, you can try injecting a little oxygen from your own reserves to boost your body briefly." I retract my faceplate

DM: They were first designed 10,000 years ago.

Keith: I remove my faceplate as well

DM: Hunk and Keith both have 45% left.

Hunk: "Can you use your left arm at all, Keith?"

Keith: "Yeah, I can," I say, and lift my arm to demonstrate. "I'll be fine."

Hunk: I give Keith a concerned look, but say nothing.

Pidge: "Which tunnels do you guys want to check out? Gassy spider one? Or unknown noisy one?"

Hunk: I lean against the rock wall in an attempt to steady myself.

Keith: "We know what's down one tunnel. I suggest we clear out those spiders." I sit and lean as well, still trying to get rid of the dizziness.

Pidge: "Okay. I can take the lead then"

DM: You're both still dizzy.

Hunk: Does the food goo heal any status effects?

DM: No, just HP

Keith: I lie down and close my eyes for a second.

DM: Keith roll defence. [Keith rolls 3]

Hunk: I sit down on the ground and lean against the wall.

DM: Keith closes his eyes to rest and ends up passing out. Hunk roll defence [Hunk rolls 11]

Pidge: I casually stand guard, shield and bayard at ready

DM: Hunk manages to shake off the last of the effects from the gas.

Pidge: A couple minutes pass..."Ok, we should probably get moving again." I check my video upload. Any luck?

Hunk: I heave myself to me feet. "Did the video get through to the castle?"

DM: Keith is silent.

Pidge: "Did Keith fall asleep? C'mon Keith, I don't think these tunnels are the safest place to be sleeping in." I stand over Keith. "Time to wake up! Let's get going!"

DM: Keith doesn't respond.

Hunk: "Uh, Pidge, I think something's wrong." I inspect keith

DM: Roll intelligence [Hunk rolls 5]

Pidge: "Wow. He's really passed out." I try shaking his shoulders. "Keith, time to get up!"

Pidge: I also inspect Keith [Pidge rolls 18]

DM: Hunk notes that Keith isn't conscious. Pidge realizes that he's unconscious due to the earlier gas and hypothesizes that a sudden shock will wake him.

Pidge: "Ugh...you'll thank me later for this, Keith.” I take off Keith's helmet and somewhat gently slap his face with my soggy-looking "cookie". [DM rolls 3] "If that doesn't wake him up, we might need to resort to shocking him awake...naturally though, his condition isn't especially stable so we need to find a way not to hurt him."

DM: It isn't hard or shocking enough.

Pidge: I attempt again, this time with more force

DM: Keith wakes up still dizzy without taking any damage.

Keith: I groan.

Pidge: "Sorry about that. How are you feeling?"

Hunk: "Are you sure you can handle going back down there?"

Keith: "Ugh... I should be fine in a bit, just, give me a moment..." I sit up, then close my eyes again for a second.

DM: Roll defence [Keith rolls 2]

Pidge: "Hey! No, c'mon, stay with us, Keith. "I keep shaking his shoulders while Keith attempts his next nap. "We can't have you passing out on us again."

DM: Keith passes out again, this time hitting his head and taking 4 damage.

Hunk: I pull out a tube of food goo and wave it under Keith's nose.

DM: Keith doesn't respond.

Pidge: "Okay...this isn't working well." I attempt the cookie slap again.

DM: It doesn't work. He pushed himself and is now even more deeply out.

Hunk: I gently slap Keith's cheek with my hand.

DM: It doesn't work.

Hunk: I inspect Keith.

DM: Roll intelligence [Hunk rolls 18]

Pidge: "Ugh. This is looking bad. I don't know if we can fix this without some more supplies at the castle.”

DM: You realize some electricity would wake him up.

Hunk: "Hey, remember that time you shocked Lance with your bayard? Do you think that would be enough to wake him up without hurting him?"

Pidge: "Uh...it's worth a shot..."

Hunk: "His armour should hopefully prevent any severe injury."

Pidge: I pull out my bayard, set it to its lowest voltage...and...tap Keith's stomach with it

DM: Keith takes 3 damage and doesn't wake up.

Pidge: "Okay, time to get to the castle. Hunk, can you carry Keith up on your jetpack? I don't know how well mine is doing right now."

Hunk: I look towards the sky, judging how hard it would be to climb it with extra weight.

DM: Roll strength [Hunk rolls 5]

Hunk: "I should be able to manage him. What about his lion, though?"

Pidge: "We can retrieve it later. I don't think it'll be too much trouble… How heavy is he?" I check my strength too. [Pidge rolls 12]

Lance: I appear, right next to everyone, out of literal thin air

DM: When Hunk picks Keith up he accidentally hits Keith into a wall. Keith takes 2 damage.

Hunk: Do we need our jet packs to get out, or can we climb normally?

DM: There's no point in stamina because you'll just recover it so you can get out. Either way works.

Pidge: "Woah! Lance, where did you come from?"

Hunk: "Oh, hey Lance."

DM: Lance roll agility [Lance rolls 1 (nat1)]

Pidge: "If we wake up Keith, we can feed him some food goo. We only have two more bandages right now..."

Hunk: "What if we put a bandage on his head? Would that do anything?"

Lance: "Hey, Pidge, Hunk - whoa, what happened to Keith?"

DM: Lance loses control of his jetpack on the way down and crashes into some rocks taking 6 damage.

Hunk: "He inhaled some gas and keeps passing out. We were all pretty dizzy at first, but we got over it faster."

Pidge: "Woah, Lance, are you all right? At this point...Hunk, help me out, and BE CAREFUL!” I grab onto Keith's shoulders and attempt to start climbing to the exit.

DM: [DM rolls 2] Keith takes 2 damage when you grab his injured shoulder.

Hunk: "Should we try shocking him again?"

Pidge: "Whoops… Yeah, let's try that."

Hunk: "It'd be easier to get him out if he's awake."

Lance: "Wait, you shocked him?"

Pidge: "No time to explain," I turn up the voltage slightly on my bayard and give another gentle jab into the stomach.

DM: [DM rolls 7] Keith takes 1 damage but finally wakes up.

Pidge: "Keith! Are you all right?"

Hunk: "Hey, you're back!" How much HP does Keith have left?

Keith: 9. I groan

Hunk: "Lance, you might have to help Pidge out of here - I think her jetpack is a little damaged."

Pidge: "Need another bandage? Want some...sustenance? Whatever you do, don't fall asleep on us again."

DM: [DM rolls 3] You hear a sound from the left tunnel.

Hunk: "Oh no. What was that? Is that that....thing again?"

Lance: "WHAT WAS THAT. WHAT THING?"

Hunk: "There was...maybe... a monster thing that we heard earlier."

Pidge: "All right, we definitely need to get out of here. There might be more spiders coming back up. Keith, grab some food, and let's get out of here. Can you jetpack...or climb out?"

Keith: I attempt to sit up.

Hunk: "Keith, you're gonna need help getting out of here - are you cool if I carry you?"

DM: Keith sits up.

Keith: I nod at Hunk.

Hunk: I offer Keith a hand to stand

DM: Keith is resistant to help. Hunk roll communication [Hunk rolls 4]

Keith: I grab it and pull myself up

DM: Keith's pride doesn't allow him to be carried.

Keith: "I can make it out myself."

Hunk: "Really, Keith," I deadpan.

Pidge: I make an attempt. "C'mon Keith. You're in a pretty bad shape. We need everyone's help, including yours, if we want to get through this. Let us help you get back to the castle."

DM: Roll communication [Pidge rolls 6]

Hunk: "At least have a snack before we leave."

Lance: I put my arm around Keith's shoulders to steady him, and flip him off when he glares at me.

Keith: I shake Lance off. "I'll be fine. Now let's go."

DM: Keith looks like he's considering Pidge's words before becoming resolute in his decision to do it alone.

Pidge: "Fine. Let's get out of here."

Keith: I head up with my jetpack.

Pidge: I start climbing out.

Hunk: Are all the jetpacks functional? I begin to climb, assisting myself with my jetpack

DM: Keith roll agility, Pidge roll strength [Keith rolls 10, Pidge rolls 10] Keith manages to do something without getting hurt. Pidge gets out. Hunk roll strength [Hunk rolls 18] Hunk easily scales the wall.

Pidge: I unceremoniously dump myself on the ground above the cavern (at a safe spot) and catch my breath

Keith: I land on the trail on the mud and wait for the others.

Lance: I follow the others out using my jetpack.

Hunk: "Keith, are you okay to pilot?"

DM: Roll agility, Lance. [Lance rolls 11] Lance makes it out safely

Keith: "Yes. Let's head back to the lions. Make sure to stay on the trail."

DM: [DM rolls 2] The ground cracks beneath everyone. Everyone roll agility [Keith rolls 17, Pidge rolls 9, Hunk rolls 4, Lance rolls 18]

Pidge: "You're kidding me."

Hunk: "Oh, come on!"

DM: Keith gets away easily and can help one teammate. Lance can also help one teammate. Pidge barely scrambles to safely.

Keith: If I notice Hunk having trouble, I head for him

DM: Hunk is saved. Everyone makes it back to the lions safely

Keith: I get in my lion.

Hunk: I clamber into my lion and take off.

Pidge: I hop into my lion and fly for the castle

Lance: I also get into my lion and take off.

Keith: I fly back to the castle as well.

DM: You all make it back safely. Shiro Allura and Coran take in your appearance with surprise. "What happened to you guys?!" Shiro is the first to question.

Keith: "A lot."

Hunk: "Allura! Coran! Do you guys have some super-tech healing machine??"

Pidge: "Keith's in a bad shape right now. We had to deal with a lot of problems in there."

DM: "We do who needs medical treatment the most?" Allura asks.

Hunk: "Keith."

DM: Coran escorts Keith to the healing pods.

Hunk: "Well, he's the only one who needs treatment. See, there were these giant spiders..."

Keith: "Hunk and Pidge inhaled gas as well," I try to protest against Coran

Hunk: "Okay, but not as much as you did."

Pidge: "I'm pretty sure I managed just fine. Keith got the most. I'm going to upload my video and restore my oxygen supplies."

Keith: "I'll be fine, I don't need a healing pod."

Pidge: "Yes you do."

Hunk: I gently push Keith towards Coran.

DM: "Yes, we'll check them over afterwards. Let's start with you," Coran attempts to soothe.

Pidge: "Between acid burns, the gas attacks and passing out on us twice, you NEED a healing pod, Keith," I say audibly, ensuring it's at least loud enough for Shiro to hear.

DM: Shiro tries to convince Keith.

Keith: Keith sighs and goes with Coran.

DM: [DM rolls 21] Shiro succeeds in convincing Keith. "Keith, the quicker you go with Coran, the faster everyone else can get looked over. "

Keith: I sigh and agree. "Fine."

Hunk: I sit down on the floor, emotionally exhausted.

DM: Shiro and Allura share a look before Shiro speaks. "Okay guys, you've all obviously been through a lot in the past couple of hours. Let’s go watch a movie relax and debrief. We can grab some snacks on the way," Shiro suggests.

Pidge: "I got a movie for you all! My video log!" The glares Pidge is given in response makes her quickly reconsider… "Which I'll watch in my lab to see if we can find anything useful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost there, folks! We're definitely in the stretch that I consider "better" now, but the next mission kicks it up further. All that's left here is some loose ends.
> 
> I absolutely lose it every time I read "I gently taser Keith."


	5. Loose Ends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was some simultaneous stuff happening, so I split it to focus on each paladin - it makes it less confusing in the long run.

Pidge: During my analysis of the video log, did I learn anything interesting?

DM: Roll intelligence [Pidge rolls 5 (nat1)]

Pidge: HOW

DM: You watch the video and notice rocks, blue moss, and spiders. You also notice that the spiders only attacked when provoked.

Pidge: I pull Coran over and asks if he recognizes the sound of the (presumed) beast we heard from the right tunnel

DM: Roll communication [Pidge rolls 1] Pidge ends up accidentally swearing at Coran multiple times while asking her question. He storms off angrily. Pidge now gets -2 communication with Coran for an unspecified time period.

Pidge: I ask Shiro if he can help me get back in good graces with Coran again and that I definitely did not mean to swear like a sailor in front of him

DM: Roll communication. [Pidge rolls 18] Shiro readily agrees. "Sure, Pidge. We all make mistakes sometimes. Have you tried apologizing yet?"

Pidge: "Uh, I'm sort of too afraid to even try that right now. Coran was pretty mad when he stormed off."

Shiro ruffles Pidge's hair. "It wouldn't be a bad idea to give him some time to cool off first, but you'll have to talk to him eventually. I'll be sure to put in a good word for you beforehand, though."

Pidge: "All right, thanks."

DM: "No problem," Shiro tells Pidge.

Pidge: I look around for more stuff in my lab, this time, careful not to put my computer in such a precarious spot [Pidge rolls 6]

DM: Pidge elbows an empty glass beaker, knocking it over.

Pidge: I dive to catch it

DM: Roll agility [Pidge rolls 6] As you dive you manage to knock over another beaker which falls directly on you. The first beaker crashes to the ground shattering. Pidge loses 2 HP and her lab is covered in glass

Pidge: Shocked at my own clumsiness, I decide to quickly sweep up the mess, using a broom and dustpan from a nearby closet.

DM: [DM rolls 5] You slowly clean up by yourself.

 

~~~~~

 

Keith: Once I get out of the healing pod, I go to ask Coran about bandages.

DM: Roll communication, Keith [Keith rolls 11] "Hmmm, we should have some spares..." Coran says while digging through some stuff, comically tossing items at random. "Aha!" He exclaims while pulling out a single bandage. "Here you go." Keith obtains 1 bandage.

Keith: "Thank you..." I also go ask Allura about bandages.

DM: Roll communication [Keith rolls 9]

DM: "Have you asked Coran? He's much more likely to be able to answer stock questions." Allura responds.

Keith: I hunt around the castle for more bandages. "The castle has got to have more than just _1_ bandage…”

Pidge: I offer Keith one of my remaining bandages. "You look like you need this more than me."

Keith: I refuse the bandage. "I'll hunt around the castle for more. You keep that."

DM: Keith roll intelligence [Keith rolls 14] Keith wonders if he could find some bandages in the infirmary and heads over. He finds 1 bandage. Meanwhile, Shiro does some push-ups.

Keith: Keith wonders if he can find anything else useful in the infirmary.

DM: [DM rolls 9] Keith sees a tube with something inside.

Keith: I inspect the tube more closely.

DM: Roll intelligence [Keith rolls 3] Keith looks at it and wonders how it would taste. Roll intelligence [Keith rolls 8]

DM: He decides it probably wouldn't be smart to eat random stuff from the infirmary and puts it back where he found it.

Keith: I bring the tube to Coran and ask him about it.

DM: Keith roll communication [Keith rolls 17] "Oh, that's some numbing cream." Coran informs Keith. "It won't heal anything, but it's good if you have to stitch up a wound."

Keith: I take the tube. Then I go train with the gladiator because I'm mad about how I fought with the spiders.

DM: Shiro joins Keith in training. Shiro roll communication [DM rolls 9] Shiro gets tangled in some rope that was left out and falls taking 1 damage. Keith is amused. Keith and Shiro then train together. "I really wish people would remember to put away equipment when they're finished with it." I say as I get up.

Keith: "Who was in here last?"

DM: "I'm not sure. It might have been one of our team training exercises." I say thoughtfully.

Keith: "So we all have to put away the equipment after using it then. Including yourself?" I say, in an attempt to tease.

DM: "We were working at stations to end our last session," I reply with a fake withering look. "It was probably Lance." I joke back.

 

~~~~~

 

Pidge: After I "quickly" cleaned up the mess, I check around elsewhere to see if I could get my hands on a few more containment units

DM: Pidge finishes cleaning.

Pidge: I resume my search for food goo tubes and empty containment units

DM: Roll intelligence [Pidge rolls 23] While passing by the kitchen Pidge sees 3 goo tubes and a containment unit.

Pidge: I grab them all

DM: Pidge obtains items

 

~~~~~

 

Hunk: I cook up some portable snacks in the kitchen.

DM: Roll [Hunk rolls 16] Hunk cooks 3 lumpy goos. They restore 3 HP each and 1 st.

Hunk: I look around the kitchen for special ingredients.

Pidge: (Hunk grabs the ingredients into his hands and dumps them all into a cooking pot. He rests his hands on his hips while humming. The cooking pot and all the ingredients bounce up and down, making noises that sound very similar to a jingle. In the bottom right of Hunk's visor, he sees "Skip (X)")

DM: Roll intelligence [Hunk rolls 12] You find an herb of some kind.

Hunk: I inspect the herb

DM: Roll intelligence [Hunk rolls 9] The leaves are jagged and it has a sharp scent to it that you vaguely recognize.

Hunk: I taste a sample of the herb

DM: You identify it as mint

Hunk: I cook a dish with the mint

DM: Roll [Hunk rolls 19] You cook a dish that heals 2 HP and sharpens focus (increasing agility) by 2 for 3 turns. You cook 2 of them.

Pidge: (A short crescendo of sounds are coming from the cooking pot. A puff of smoke shoots out and Hunk jumps out of joy, one hand stretched above him in a fist.)

Hunk: (DA NA NA NAAAA)

DM: [DM rolls 12] Lance walks in.

Hunk: "Oh, hey Lance!"

Lance: "Hey Hunk, what's up?"

Pidge: Pidge follows in shortly.

Hunk: "Not much, just cooking up some snacks...our last mission ended pretty terribly so I thought I'd try to cheer everyone up. Especially Keith. I didn't mean to hurt him so much."

DM: Elsewhere in the castle, Keith shudders.

Lance: "Well, it smells delicious! And don't beat yourself up, you were just trying to help him, right?"

Pidge: "Mm. Smells good. Is that mint?"

Hunk: "Yeah, it is! I was surprised to find some here, considering we're so far away from earth." I look around the kitchen for more ingredients.

DM: You find nothing.

Hunk: :(

Pidge: I'm lost in my train of thought. "Hmm...that is interesting that mint is found here. Then again, it could just be a plant similar to mint. After all, Altean and human physiology have a lot in common, so we can eat similar foods. Though they do have the power to interact with energy sources, but that could just be their superior technology over our planet..."

Hunk: I blink at Pidge. "Actually, I've been wondering how similar Alteans and humans are. We don't know how their bodies work at all."

Pidge: Pidge continues a short ramble about evolutionary paths, colonizer ships, and visual differences between Alteans and humans...until she realized that nobody knew what she was talking about. "Anyway, we should get going soon if we want to explore the rest of the caverns. I'll grab Keith and Shiro." I make my way over to the training deck.

 

~~~~~

 

Keith: I continue to train.

DM: Shiro leaves the training places to meditate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this fic, folks! This one was technically two missions (the bryzor and the spiders), but it felt weird to split them up.
> 
> Next mission: the team heads back to the caves to explore, where something awaits them...


End file.
